Barely Breathing
by Nekonyo
Summary: A kunoichi's life is cruel filled with betrayal, heartbreak, death and dangerous romantic ties. Kanako Tsuda from the Mist is about to find this hard the way. [ HidanxOC bear with it ] Story link with lost in memories [CHAP 3 UP!]
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: We do not own, possess, influence, or have any affiliation with Kishimoto and his work in Naruto in anyway. The only characters which are of our own creation are Kanako, Tsubasa, Kanami, Umiko, Yondaime Mizukage, his daughter, and the rest of the mist village ninjas. The storyline of this story alters the usual timeline in Naruto in order for the original characters to fit in. These are not mary sues in any way, as they do not embody the persona of the writer. The characters are simply that— characters.

……………………………….

Chapter 1 :

_"I want my mother!" she screamed, pulling on the middle-aged man's beard. "We're not going with you!"_

_"Kanako!" her sister chimed. "Could you stop that?"_

_She pouted, letting the man go and glaring at her sister. "They won't take us to mother and father!"_

_"They're dead, I've told you that. I'm not sure where we are either, but that doesn't matter. It's better than living alone in the woods like we have been."_

_"Kanami, you're not fair. I don't like this man!" _

_The man moved out of the way before the little girl could kick him. He chuckled a bit, waving his hand to dismiss the older girl's apologies on behalf of her sister. He looked at the two of them, ushering them into his office and telling the other men who had brought the girls to him to leave. Walking past them toward his desk, he sat down and let them go around the room. _

_"Wow, we're so high up!" Kanako cried, obviously delighted. "Who are you, mister?"_

_"You have a relatively short attention span, don't you?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I thought you didn't like me."_

_"Of course I don't!" she remarked, putting her hands on her hips and glaring._

_Kanami placed a hand on her sister's head. "I'm sorry, sir, my sister is rude."_

_Yet again he waved his hand to dismiss her apology. "It's no matter; you are entitled to know where you are. This is Kirigakure, and I am the Mizukage."_

_"You are?" Kanami's eyes went wide. "Why were we brought here?"_

_Kanako huffed and squirmed out of her sister's grip, standing on a chair that was positioned in front of the man's desk. She turned and glared at him again. He smirked, enjoying the childishness of the girl. It reminded him a lot of his daughter, who had recently turned twenty-five and become an ANBU member. There was a furious fervor in the girl's eyes as she defiantly pushed her barriers and attempted to intimidate him. _

_"What are you planning for us, Mizukage-sama?" Kanami questioned._

_"I'm offering you a home, and in return you will both follow in the footsteps of your parents and become kunoichi." he responded lightly. "I'm sorry for your loss, but I believe the best way for you to respect your parents is to allow yourself to become what they once were before choosing their civilian lives; as members of the Tsuda clan, you both hold invaluable potential."_

_Kanami looked at Kanako. "Are you sure this is wise?"_

_"You will be schooled and fed at no cost to you until you have the ability to pay for it yourself." he answered. "I will see to it personally that you are taken care of."_

_Kanako smiled. "I want to become a kunoichi, sister!"_

_The Mizukage grinned, watching the two girls exchange their positions. Kanako was surprisingly adamant on becoming a kunoichi, while Kanami was slightly apprehensive. Something about her made him think she would become an amazing kunoichi; Kanako had a spirit that was strong and upbeat, full of vivacity that seemed inextinguishable. She was just like her mother, right down to the dark hair with pink tips, and the aqua shaded eyes. _

_-------------------------_

Kanako cracked open an eye, wiping her hand across the raindrop that fell on her cheek. The last thing she needed right now was rain while she was trying to track Akatsuki. She had been angry with the Mizukage for having her sister married off to the group of missing nins, but it had been a mission and Kanami had accepted it to protect the village that had taken them in 11 years before. Now she had gone missing from the group, her daughter was left in Kanako's care, and the only answers to her whereabouts or the sudden appearance of her child was within the lair of the S-Class criminals.

Umiko was going to kill her for leaving without saying where she was headed.

Standing once more, she turned off in the general direction of the small Country of Fog. It was approximately half a days journey away. Once she arrived there, the bigger issue would be navigating through the fog to find the cave. Living in Kirigakure and fighting within the mists gave her an advantage, but the dense fogs she'd be travelling into were rumored to displace even the greatest of Kage-level shinobi. Despite this, she continued on her way without a second thought. Kanako knew she was in no position to fight nine bingo book listed shinobi, should it come to such a situation, but she was desperate.

Kanami was the only family she had left, and she'd be damned if her sister was just going to disappear and leave her with the responsibility of raising her daughter. She hadn't seen her sister in three years, nor had she had any correspondence with her over that time period, and suddenly everything was turning up with loose ends. Kanami was missing from the Akatsuki, her child had turned up in the Mist, and no one was giving any answers other than the request that Kanako take care of the baby and not try to find her. Obviously, she hadn't listened to the request and set off the same night she'd returned from Konohagakure.

She stopped suddenly in her haste, eyes searching around to her left. There had been a movement in the branches, and a fog had slowly began to rise. It wasn't thick, but it was slowly growing in density with the humidity. Had Umiko finally caught up with her and was trying to confuse her with a chakra-induced mist? A rustle to right had her crossing her arms over her body, creating a shield to block kunai with her arms. The force of their impact was enough to knock her off balance from the tree branch, and she went spiraling toward the forest floor, landing with cat-like grace and sliding to a halt.

_'This isn't Umiko.'_ she thought, remaining crouched as she searched around through the mist for the next minute shadow.

A large sword came flying toward her; she rolled out of the way, wincing and gripping her arm. She had recognized the blade, Samehada, but hadn't managed to get out of the way before it shredded through her sleeve. It wasn't a fatal wound, but it was painful and bleeding greatly. At least now she knew who she was fighting; the Akatsuki member Kisame, a missing nin from her own home hidden village of mist. The sword wasn't her biggest problem, though. If Kisame was here, that meant that Umiko's older brother was there as well. Itachi was not a force to take lightly; so she took a risk.

"Uchiha Itachi and Hoshigaki Kisame." she stated, standing up straight. "You'd be best not to hurt me further and simply show yourselves."

She waited, senses peaked with her adrenaline. The anticipation she was feeling droned out as the shadowy figures came toward her in the mist, side by side. Narrowing her eyes, Kanako strained to hear their footsteps agaisnt the fallen twigs and leaves littering the ground. There should be some noise, but there was nothing. Her eyes went wide, and her fingers came together instanteously in a pointed position.

"Kai!" Kanako shouted, spinning around in a half way circle to punch the offending person behind her.

Itachi took a hold of her wrist when it was hair's width away from his neck. She glared at him, watching slowly as his eyes began to bleed out of their black color and back into red, the comma spinning in a circle. She closed her eyes and focused her chakra into her wrist, sprouting a blade of chakra through his palm and grazing his neck before he sent her flying away from his body. Kisame looked over toward the blood flowing out of Itachi's wound, then down at the girl who had landed on her wounded arm.

"She can use the Kiriwatashi, like Kanami." he observed.

Itachi didnt' say anything as he wrapped a piece of cloth over his palm, tightening it to stop the blood flow as his eyes followed Kanako. She struggled to stand up using one arm, but managed to stand fully and turn her arms over her head and to the side, as if she was holding a sword. The chakra began to flow from her hands and take the shape of a large, jagged weapon within her palms, a glare distinctly radiating through the transparency of the blade. He didn't blink.

"She's more advanced with Kiriwatashi." he observed. "You must be Kanako."

A little shocked at his deduction, Kanako retracted the chakra back into her system and stood with her arms at her sides. "How do you know who I am?"

Kisame glared at her. "How did you know us?"

She pointed to her headband. "I'm from Kirigakure. The mist fog was a dead give away that you were here. And I happen to know Itachi because I'm friends with Umiko."

Itachi's head snapped toward her, a deep crease in his brow. "Umiko."

"She's fine." Kanako responded lightly. "I left my sister's daughter with her."

"You mean Itachi's daughter." Kisame responded. "He's the one who was wed off to Kanami."

"Where is she?"

Kanako walked up to him, holding her bad arm as she pleaded. This had to be some sort of sign if she was lucky enough to run into someone who was so closely connected to her sister, and she had leverage with her knowledge of Umiko. Itachi appeared to be impassive, but his eyes were looking every direction, trying to come up with a decision. She pressed further, repeating her question a second time. It didn't matter that she sounded desperate for an answer, or if she appeared weak for being so desperate. All that mattered was that she found her sister and could be positive that she was alright. If Kanami had to disappear from Akatsuki and not take her child, there had to be some sort of threat.

Without so much as a response, Itachi turned and began to walk away. Kanako stumbled as she tried to get his attention. Her only link was walking away.

"What kind of man are you?" she screamed. "I've only heard the sacrifices you made for your siblings, now you can't even do the same for the sister of your wife?"

He stopped, but he didn't turn around. Kisame gave her a withering glance before whispering something to Itachi in a tone she couldn't decipher. The two seemed to be in a one sided conversation, where Kisame practically read Itachi's thoughts and attempted to help him come up with a solution. It was obvious he hadn't expected to run into someone connected to his wife. Kanako wondered momentarily if she'd stepped into some sort of traced field that allowed Akatsuki to be aware when people were nearing their hideout. If that was true, then these two were sent to kill her before she had discovered the rest of the group. Yet again, another stroke of luck-- she had experience fighting the Sharingan, and knew the secrets Kisame housed from his life in Kirigakure.

"If you must know, you will come with us." He responded. "I have questions I want to ask you as well."

Kisame seemed a bit shocked, but simply closed his eyes and nodded; his respect for the man was evident. She smiled a bit, relieved that she could at least get that much of a chance out of him. He continued walking away into the distance, while his partner waited for her to catch up.

He held an arm out to stop her in her trek. "You're very lucky."

"I realize that." she responded. "You didn't have to tell me."

"The only reason he didn't kill you was because you look like her."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: We do not own, possess, influence, or have any affiliation with Kishimoto and his work in Naruto in anyway. The only characters which are of our own creation are Kanako, Tsubasa, Kanami, Umiko, Yondaime Mizukage, his daughter, and the rest of the mist village ninjas. The storyline of this story alters the usual timeline in Naruto in order for the original characters to fit in. These are not mary sues in any way, as they do not embody the persona of the writer. The characters are simply that— characters.

_Chapter 2:_

Kanako peeked out from around a bush, watching the little purple haired girl who was standing with Kazeno Tsubasa. She frowned at how nervous and displaced the girl appeared to be. Tsubasa wasn't helping her situation at all either, with his regal manner and cut-throat introductions. How did he expect her to meet anyone and make any friends if he just pointed to them and told her their names? Granted, Tsubasa had been difficult to warm up to and he didn't have many friends, but the guy was really a big selfish teddy bear on the inside.

_That was it; he wanted to keep the little girl to himself. That was so unfair! Kanako put her hands on her hips, huffing. Some friend Tsubasa was! Without another thought, she stomped over and tapped the girl on the shoulder. She spun around, large black eyes wide with shock when she saw her. _

_"I'm Kanako." she stated lightly. "Let me show you around! Tsubasa's not going to help you meet anyone."_

_"You're a fool, Kanako." he stated, rubbing his forehead in a manner he'd picked up from his father. _

_She rolled her eyes and grinned. "What's your name?"_

_"I'm Uchiha Umiko." she responded._

_"I haven't seen you around here before. Are you an orphan like me?"_

_Tsubasa glared at her, the look in his eyes telling her that she had overstepped her boundaries. She looked apologetically at Umiko when she saw the sad expression that fell over her face. It didn't take a genius to know that Tsubasa expected her to make it up to the girl, so Kanako did the only thing she could think of at the moment. Stepping in between the overly mature boy and the new girl, she linked arms with them both. _

_"Come on, let's go explore the city!" she smiled. "I'd like to learn more about you, Umiko!"_

_The girl smiled at her, while Tsubasa just smirked a bit. Most of the trip around town was Kanako drilling Umiko with different questions about where she came from, what she liked, and what she wanted to be. At one point Kanako and Tsubasa got in an argument over who was going to pay for the dango when they stopped to eat, and both were awarded with a small giggle from Umiko. It had caught Kanako off guard long enough for Tsubasa to pay the waitress. _

_"Umi-chan, you're really living with that jerk?" Kanako pointed at Tsubasa, who rolled his eyes at her comment._

_She nodded. "My brother left me in the care of his father."_

_Kanako walked a few steps ahead before turning around and sticking her tongue out. "You should come stay with me!"_

_"Then she'd turn out like you-- immature and annoying."_

_"It's better than being and uptight..."_

_A hand fell on her head. Tsubasa crossed his arms and continued standing beside Umiko, who was looking at the person behind her new friend with awe. He smiled at her, sending a salute with the tip of his hand against his forehead before he spun Kanako around to face him. She pouted and crossed her arms, obviously not impressed in the slightest. Shaking his head, Tsubasa turned to Umiko to offer up an explanation._

_"That's our Mizukage." he told her. "He's been taking care of Kanako and her older sister since they came to the village a year ago."_

_"I take care of more than that, Tsubasa." _

_Umiko bowed politely before Kanako had hopped on her back; she lurched forward with the extra weight, but giggled anyway as Tsubasa attempted to pull the girl off. Shaking his head, the Mizukage walked up to them with a commanding tone in his steps as the two of them argued over who got to spend time with the new arrival. It was a sight he hadn't seen in his village in a long time. Children actually acting like children... something so unheard of. _

_"I can see bright futures for the three of you." he stated._

--------------

Kanako decided that she was going to hurt Itachi when she saw him again. How long was he planning on ignoring her? Didn't he say he had questions to ask her? You would think that someone who had something to say or ask would have jumped at the opportunity to get it done and over with. Instead she had been sitting around, exploring the caverns and getting hopelessly lost. One hall would lead to a different chamber, but didn't lead back to how she got there. It was too confusing and utterly pointless in her head; why go to such great lengths to protect your organization if you could get lost just as easily?

On the second day she'd been there, Hidan had shown her to the bathroom stating she 'smelled like the dead'. By that time she didn't have much to counter his opinion, so she just took the criticism and allowed herself to soak in some hot water. She knew she didn't smell like roses, but he didn't have to be such an asshole about it. She had decided that she didn't like him much.

Today was the fifth day, and she was walking down some more halls she didn't recognize. It seemed that no matter how many times she took the same turns, nothing seems right. She'd already tried to dispel it as if it was a genjutsu, and that hadn't been the issue. She determined it was just stupidity on behalf of the architect. It had to have been very difficult to create a place like this.

"You're still here?"

"Of course. I have to bother you some more." she responded, turning and glaring at him. "I can't exactly leave if you don't show me the door."

He smirked. "As fun as that would be, I can't."

"How convenient." she responded. "Can I ask you a question, Hidan?"

"I think you've already overstepped your boundary, so why the hell not."

She glared at him before leaning against a wall, legs and arms crossed as she stared at the ground. "What happened to my sister?"

He didn't answer her at first, just watched her as he contemplated what he would say. She kept one eye on his movements; if he chose to flee in the middle of her interrogation, she'd chase him to the ends of the earth. At the moment nothing was more important to her than finding her sister. If Itachi was going to create issues when it came to finding her, then she'd just ask someone else who knew Kanami. It was a simple situation when thought of in that sense.

"Even if I told you, there would be no way to find her." he shrugged. "I have no idea where she went; I only know why she was sent off."

Kanako's brow creased. "What do you mean she was sent off?"

"Leader thought Itachi's loyalty was being displaced from the organization to your sister and the baby. Itachi sent her away to keep them safe, and remained here to save face with Leader."

She let the words sink in, digesting the short lived story. The thought had never occurred to her that her sister had been sent off into hiding by Itachi; she had assumed there was a threat and Kanami had seen no choice but to escape. This posed different scenarios and hindered her ability to find Kanami. If she was right, any information Itachi would give would be false. The lodgings of Akatsuki did have ears and eyes in every wall, after all. If he let out the whereabouts of his wife, she was bound to be hunted. How that would solidify Itachi's position in the organization was beyond her; sending Kanami off out of his own free will was a proclamation of love. Unless, of course, Kanami had been the one to bring up the subject and he agreed for a lack of care.

That option wasn't too far from the realm of possibility; it made her blood boil to think her sister had been tied into such a loveless relationship. Kanako wasn't fool enough to believe that arranged marriages, let alone one that was a mission, would lead to love; but she did think that there had to be some sort of emotion between the two if she managed to get this far with just the mentioning of her relation to her sister. Or perhaps it was her knowledge of Umiko...?

"Don't tell me you're surprised." Hidan's voice broke her thoughts. "Perhaps your duller than I gave you credit for."

"You can shove it. I finally get you to be civil with me and you have to ruin it with an insult."

"Just speaking the truth, babe."

She pointed a finger directly into his naked chest through the hole in his pendant necklace. "You must be quite slow minded if you believe insulting a woman is treading safe grounds."

One finely arched eyebrow rose on his face as Kanako spun and turned down the hall, stomping lightly to continue her unending exploration of the cavern. Her hair swished with the wind as she passed through the desolate halls. She wound her way down the winding distance, in and out of rooms she'd never inspected before. Hidan just continued to stand there, transfixed. It was the first time anyone had tried to touch him... and, quite ironically, it had hurt. Who would have thought such a feisty girl would have so much power behind a poke?

The world really was filled with unexplainable things.

------------

Kanako stood there watching him for the last hour and a half. He knew she was there; she knew that he knew she was. Itachi chose to continue ignoring her as she leaned in the doorway of his room, watching him pour over the next mission on his list. It was almost like a game, she thought; who was going to crack first and speak. It was his turn to give some initiative. She'd fought to get here, and sought him out, and now it was his turn to do something. Didn't he care about his sister?

"You're breaking my concentration."

Bingo.

"And you haven't asked me your questions, or been willing to answer any of mine."

Itachi set his brush down, turning to face her with an impassive expression. Kanako didn't move under the scrutiny of his gaze. Eyes transfixed on his own, she waited, tempting the tiger to strike. They remained in this situation for a matter of minutes, neither one yielding to the other. She smirked a bit when she realized just how much Itachi's personality resembled that of Umiko. Having been best friends with her for a decade, there were a few buttons she knew how to push to get specific reactions. The stare down was usually the first step; the next was to make a clever, tactical comment.

She wasn't the lead investigative kunoichi in ANBU for nothing.

"You know, Umiko used to do the same thing when she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell me something."

With a sweep of his hand, Itachi motioned for her to take a seat across the room. Unraveling her crossed arms; she walked into the room and took her place on the mahogany chair. Legs crossed and a diminutive smile over her face, Kanako glanced at him and waited patiently for his response. She ignored the tense feeling in the room.

"You look very much like her." he said. "I can tell you're sisters."

"I assure you that she is the more responsible one." Kanako responded.

Itachi watched her for a moment before he said anything else. "What do you know about Umiko's life before she came to Kirigakure?"

"I know the sacrifice you made to keep her alive; I know about the massacre, Sasuke, the family life you had, and Orochimaru's involvement." she stated. "And I doubt you're so much different from how you were before hand. Umiko said you were a very loving brother and you took care of your siblings; spent time with them when you could."

"I have changed since then."

"I suppose a cold natured man would still worry for his siblings; and yet, even when I mention my sister's name there is a ghost of a smile on your face. She brought you a salvation you hadn't felt in a long time, didn't she? And your daughter..."

Itachi interrupted her. "Our daughter's name is Kuri."

She smiled, nodding her consent. He had long since stopped facing her to look at the wall, contemplating his thoughts and words before he'd say them. It seemed he put too much thought into what he said, but she wasn't complaining. Kanako had finally managed to get him to talk, and she was taking anything she could get. It didn't matter to her how much longer she had to wait before he was comfortable to say what he needed.

"How is Umiko?"

Kanako turned her eyes toward the floor, the irony of her smile pulling through. "She's had some tough times, but she's pulled through pretty well. She's already a genin team leader, can you believe that? She's only 15 and a half. Umiko's a strong girl..."

"When was she last in Konoha?"

"Huh?" Kanako blinked a few times. "Why do you need to know that?"

"I ran into Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura. They had mentioned her name in comparison to me. I want to know how they knew who she was." he responded.

Leaning back in her chair, Kanako closed her eyes to think. Giving out classified information on their missions was dangerous, but the mission to Konoha hadn't exactly been a secret one. They were inspectors during the Chunnin exams, representing Kirigakure. They had been there for a few months, but nothing that should have been worrisome for Itachi. Umiko had made it through the time there relatively fine, up until she discovered Sasuke's defection to Orochimaru; that had been a shock. Kanako couldn't help but sympathize with her over it. That man had taken so much away from her through out her life...and she would give anything to kill him so he would stop hurting Umiko.

"We went on a three month mission for the Chunin exams. After that we returned to Kirigakure, and upon our return to Kirigakure, I was told of Kanami's disappearance." she told him. "Itachi, what happened to my sister?"

His eyes flashed red for a minute in an attempt to intimidate her to silence. Kanako just stared at him, waiting for an answer. She hadn't expected such a violent reaction from him, but the surprise was well masked. He stood up, one hand gripping the corner of his table.

"Even if I knew, I couldn't tell you."

She shot up. "What do you mean you don't know? Aren't you the one who sent her off?"

"I did." he responded. "It was agreed upon her leave that I was not to know where she was, and she wasn't to contact me. Any lead to her, and our Leader will have her killed."

Kanako's eyes went wide before she landed back in her seat, a defeated expression her face. She' been here all this time for nothing? Itachi didn't have any clues to her sister's whereabouts? How was she supposed to find her if she couldn't even find her way out of the cavern? For some reason, Kanako felt a very bad headache coming on.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: We do not own, possess, influence, or have any affiliation with Kishimoto and his work in Naruto in anyway. The only characters which are of our own creation are Kanako, Tsubasa, Kanami, Umiko, Yondaime Mizukage, his daughter, and the rest of the mist village ninjas. The storyline of this story alters the usual timeline in Naruto in order for the original characters to fit in. These are not mary sues in any way, as they do not embody the persona of the writer. The characters are simply that— characters.

Chapter 3:

_"Umi-chan, look!" Kanako squealed, thrusting her Kirigakure headband in her face. "I passed!"_

_She opened her eyes, glancing over at the blue cloth and steel. "Am I supposed to be surprised?"_

_"Mou, Umi-chan, I'm no where near as amazing as you are, or as much of a genius. You graduated at the top of the class and your the youngest one in our class!" _

_Umiko didn't respond to that with more than a smirk; Kanako would just continue arguing with her if she denied it. For now she was too busy grinning over the accomplishment of graduating the academy exam. She watched as Kanako kept switching around the position of her headband, trying to find a way she was comfortable with it. Once it was placed upon her head over her hair, she smiled. _

_"That's supposed to go on your forehead." Tsubasa stated, walking up to the group._

_Kanako made a sarcastic face. "And that's why yours is around your waist?"_

_There was a short scuffle between the too, and Umiko just sat there shaking her head. Some things never changed, no matter how long the three had been friends. It seemed as if she was the only one who Tsubasa didn't try to pick a fight with. Kanako had already huffed and taken her seat by Umiko, grumbling about stupid boys and their superiority complexes. _

_"You know..." Umiko frowned, "we could be separated after this."_

_Tsubasa watched her expression. "That's true. The full class will be split according to strengths and assigned to teams."_

_"I don't think we'll be separated." Kanako smiled. "We, as a group, fill in every blank spot. I have chakra manipulation and am an earth style user. Umiko has sharingan, and is a water and fire style fighter. Tsubasa is a wind and lightning style and taijutsu specialist. What would they gain in separating us into separate teams?"_

_"You're a fool."_

_"You're just angry that I'm right."_

_Umiko shook her head. "Even if your logic is correct, that doesn't mean the team leaders will agree."_

_The group fell silent at her words. Kanako grit her teeth together; if they were separated, it would cause an imbalance in three teams. As egotistical as it was to think they were better than others, the trio had been training together since they were young. They understood each other's styles, their weak points, and had jointly graduated in the top three of their class. All remaining students in the class lagged behind in skills. For them to be practicing specific style jutsu was a sign of an immense power difference. How could they be expected to better themselves if they weren't with people who offered a challenge?_

_Their teacher cleared his throat, waiting patiently for the class to quiet down as the jounin leaders filed into the room. One by one the leaders stepped forward, reading the names off their lists. Three students per teacher, and then they would leave to begin their journey as Kirigakure shinobi and kunoichi. The time was flowing by slowly as each name was called off. Kanako had fallen asleep on Umiko's shoulder, who was leaning against Tsubasa's back, sleeping as well. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness the entire time after they'd somehow managed to fall into that position._

_"Should we wake them up?" _

_"No, Asano; let them sleep. I'll be putting them through rough training tomorrow."_

_"Yondaime-sama, I'm still confused." Asano responded. "Why did you give up your position as Mizukage to your daughter in order to train these three?"_

_The man shrugged, obviously not sure himself. "I had a hunch that these three will become great one day, and I feel I'm the one who's supposed to get them there."_

_"Then I suppose I'm leaving team 3 in your care."_

_--------------_

Scanning the ceiling one more time, Kanako flipped onto her side in the soft bed. She'd been here for almost a year now, trying repeatedly to find a way out of the confusing corridors of Akatsuki Cavern, as she'd dubbed it. Even after all her time here, she had only managed to create a memory of the paths to the kitchen and the rest room. She felt sickly, having not been outside the stone walls for so long. There was an irritating ache to move about, train, and get back to Kirigakure.

She missed Umiko. How was she doing? It was strange that after giving up on finding her sister, she'd only managed to worry about the well being of her best friend. Even though she left Kuri in Umiko's care, the girl had been in bad shape when she'd disappeared. Emotional wounds were hard to heal, and the ones she was carrying were heavy. Kanako hoped that she didn't feel abandoned now that she wasn't there to help her out. Being alone inside a cave for almost a year gave her time to run through the memories of her youth.

The time that she'd run into Umiko, trying to escape the village much like her younger brother had; it was one of the most prominent memories. She'd been crying in the streets, mumbling incoherent words. Kanako had never seen her like that, stumbling down a cobblestone road with such blatant emotion spilling from her expression. It hurt her to see it. It hurt her to remember it. If Tsubasa had been there... if he had been there...

Kanako opened her eyes, having not noticed she closed them. It had been a while since she thought about Tsubasa. In her opinion, the guy had been her asshole of an older brother. For someone who treated her like she was an idiot, he certainly did look out for her all the time. How long had it been since then? Years? She couldn't quite remember. A dull ache in her chest rose.

Damn him.

Without realizing it, Kanako was walking down the halls again. Life inside the cave had been boring recently, since most of the members were out on missions. She'd tried following them to the outside on more than one occasion, but always ended up losing them down one hall or another. It didn't matter how closely she followed them. She could be following them all day long with no problem, and she'd still manage to lose them before she could find the exit.

Kanako wasn't sure where she was headed to now. Aimlessly walking the halls had become the only entertainment she had. Since it was impossible to tell night from day, she supposed she had walked the different corridors at least once every hour of the day at some point or another. Her footsteps echoed lightly off the walls, interrupting a normally dull silence. She blinked a few times at the dull light coming from a room toward the left. She had thought everyone was gone.

Voices began to filter into the hall; baritone, heavy sounds that caused vibrations in the walls. Kanako pressed up against the wall, inching closer to the room and the voices. One was obviously the leader. She hadn't seen his face, but she'd heard the voice addressed before. He seemed rather ruthless, close minded and obsessed with his goals. None of them mad sense, and she had been shocked to find out Hidan wasn't too fond of the goals himself. To have some one within your own ranks who didn't put their full trust in you... why hadn't they gotten rid of him yet? Kakuzu told her that Hidan was the only man capable of being his partner, but that couldn't be why they kept someone like him around.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a name she never thought would be mentioned.

"We know where Kanami is."

Kanami? Her sister? They knew where she was?

Kanako tried not to let her breathing hitch at the mentioning of her sister. Itachi had said Kanami left to escape from leader. How did they find out where she was? Were they planning on killing her? There were so many questions and speculations racing through her head, but one thing was certain; she had to stay here and listen. This could be her only chance to find Kanami and beat some sense into the woman. She would be much safer inside Kirigakure than out running for her life like a missing nin.

It took a moment, but she managed to mask her presence with a bit of chanting; the skill was one Yondaime Mizukage taught her. It was far beyond the skills of an S-class criminal. She smirked; even if they had noticed she was outside the door, they'd fallen into an imperceptible genjutsu meant for spying. They could walk out and stare her in the face, and still not see or hear her. She took a few more tentative steps until she was standing in the doorway.

Leader leaned over a long mahogany table, tracing his finger over the intricate carvings. She was surprised at how tranquil he appeared to be with his flamboyant orange hair and nose piercings. She couldn't make out his features from the way he was positioned. Beside leader was a blue haired member Kanako hadn't seen much, and then Zetsu. He was sprouted halfway through the floor, obviously reporting his newest news. Leader listened, have interested, as Zetsu made his report.

"Kanami's staying in a safe house just outside the country of fog; it seems she's been moving village to village since she escaped." He announced. "I would have taken her out, but I suppose you have a better plan."

There was silence. Kanako began to sweat. What was the unnerving, heated chill that reverberated throughout the room? What was this foreboding feeling in her gut? Unconsciously, she held herself up using the door jam. Something bad was going to happen, and although she wanted to deny it, there wasn't much she could do.

"Send Deidara." Leader decided. "Blow her to bits."

-------

"Where the hell did he put my kunai holster..." she muttered, searching high and low in Itachi's room for the pouch.

Not that it mattered much, since she never carried kunai. Inside her holster were other ninja necessities most were unable to carry. Rope, scrolls, medical kits, a few choice poisons and a remniscent team photograph filled the pockets of her holster, and normally she didn't bother to carry even those sparse objects. Knowing Deidara was going to be the one trailing Kanami, she had decided having a scroll of binding would be a good idea. If she could limit his movements, her chances of being successful were bettered by twenty five percent.

A few more times through Itachi's desk offered up the solution of a hidden drawer. She felt around until a latch under the center drawer clicked, moving the false bottom upward. She scooped up the pack and strapped it securely to her belt before checking that her sandals were fastened and her hair in a tight half ponytail. It was time for her to act. If she could follow anyone out of the cave, it was Deidara. She'd be sure to take extra precautions with him this time. Kanako was determined; she was going to find her sister this time.

Speeding her way down familiar halls, she managed to catch up to Deidara. Tobi had given her a small map to his room after some well planned threats and a few sugary promises of 'bringing back some sweets' for him to eat. Tobi was, after all, a good boy. There were times Kanako was wondered how he managed to get stuck in the group of S-class missing shinobi-- the biggest threats to their respective villages and other countries. He seemed more like a sick puppy trying vainly to fit in where he didn't belong.

Hell, she fit in more here than he did.

Shaking her head, Kanako continued trekking down the halls beside Deidara, listening to him mumble about stupid missions and boring trips with no foreseeable advantages for him. She had decided there would be no point in keeping up the genjutsu once he led her from the cave; she'd just be wasting chakra she would need when the confrontation between herself and her sister started. No doubt Kanami didn't plan on coming back peacefully if she hadn't returned of her own accord yet.

Patience had never been one of Kanako's top virtues. If she had a chance to speed things along, she would. That's why Deidara seemed be travellign so slowly through the halls. There wasn't a thing she could do to speed him up, so what was really minutes felt like a half hour. He wound through the halls without a care, leading her down seperate corridors she didn't remember seeing before. Light began to seep in through some cracks in the stone, casting a subdued glow over minerals inside the cave.

There were small plants growing, which Kanako assumed belonged to Zetsu. They were obviously medicinal herbs, which made sense to her. How else would criminals get medication for wounds they recieved or viruses they'd manage to contract? She smiled when she realized plants needed water and light; meaning she was near the exit of the cavern. Deidara stepped ahead of her a bit, flipping a small switch to his left. A large boulder moved away, sending light around himself.

Kanako was outside before he was.


End file.
